is not the most
suitable, or, that the quantity exhibited is too great; in fact, that
the rules laid down for "artificial feeding" have not been strictly
acted upon.

By a mode of investigation like this, any defect or error in the
dietetic management of the infant producing the disorder will be easily
detected by a careful mother; and its correction alone will, in very
many instances, be all that is necessary to remove the symptoms.

For example, if flatulence and griping, followed by diarrhoea, occur
to an infant at the breast; if at the same time it becomes pale, its
flesh flabby, its disposition fretful, always crying until it is put to
the breast, the nipple of which it grasps eagerly, sucking eagerly, yet
never satisfied, for its hunger continues, it is not nourished; if,
too, the more it sucks, the more the stomach and bowels are deranged,
the more it vomits and is purged; depend upon it the cause of all the
evil will be found to be unwholesome milk. No medicine will avail any
thing here; the cause must be removed; the best medicine, and the only
remedy, is a breast of healthy milk. And if this is not procured
early, there will be great danger of a diarrhoea setting in, which may
probably prove fatal to the child.

Again; if there is simply vomiting of the breast-milk almost
immediately after the child has been suckled, the milk coming up pure
and unchanged, and discharged without any apparent effort, and the
moment after the child is cheerful and happy, this will be found to
depend upon repletion, and not upon unwholesome milk; in fact, the
stomach has received too much. This must be prevented in future, not by
giving medicine, but simply by removing the infant from the nipple
immediately it ceases to draw strongly, the moment it begins to dally
with the breast.

Again; if flatulence and griping occur to the child brought up by
handy this derangement will generally be found to result from
overfeeding: abstinence and diminution of the quantity of the food will
generally be all that is necessary here. It will be well, however, for
the mother in this case, and she may do it with the utmost safety, to
unload the bowels of their indigestible contents by the exhibition of a
tea-spoonful of castor oil. A dose or two of this medicine will
effectually clear them out, without increasing the irritation, or
weakening the child, whilst it will in most instances altogether remove
the symptoms. If the flatulence, however,